Confucius Lives Next Door : What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West
Author: T.R. Reid
List Price: $24.95
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ISBN: 0679456244
Publisher: Random House (02 March, 1999)
Sales Rank: 18,175
Average Customer Rating: 3.42 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
A Must-Read for Asian-Americans
I spent half of my life in Taiwan, and half in the US (15-years each). I've always been glad to be exposed to both Eastern and Western cultures. Mr. Reid's book was not only entertaining, it had inspired me search deeply within myself to identify my origin. I feel that I have become a better Chinese-American after reading this book, and it should be a must-read for people like me.With a baby on the way, my wife and I will try our best to educate her and her siblings with the best combination of Confucius teachings and Western values. Thanks, Reido-san. BTW, I am a big fan of Mr. Reid on NPR, and I hope he comes on more often.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Great introduction to some ideas behind Asia (mostly Japan)
I read this book along with others on the subject before a trip to Japan to get some idea what some of the underlying philosophical differences are between contemporary "East" and "West." Reid is an American reporter, sent to Tokyo with his family to cover Asia. The book is extremely readable because he presents his ideas as the product of personal discovery, notably through his next-door neighbor referenced in the title and his family making a life in Tokyo. It's a great vehicle for this type of book, but it's clear that Reid did his research as well, but knew better than to write a term paper on the subject. After other readings on the subject, I can see now that Reid was presenting the "Miracle and Wonder of Japan (or Asia)" view, which is, as I understand it a particular view that other thinkers might say ignores the negative side of things and the complicating and compromising factors. I wouldn't read only this book if you have any real interest in the subject; I would supplement it with others. It's a short pleasant read, great for a first plane ride to Tokyo.
Rating: 1 out of 5
utter schlock
A few years back while living in Taiwan (having already lived in Japan and Korea) a relative of mine saw this huckster on Booknotes and was convinced that this was gospel. Unfortunately, they sent it to me. I was able to flip at random in this book and find nonsense. I have yet to meet a single American who's lived in Asia as an adult who can read more than a little bit of this book. It's filled with inaccuracies that read like an East Asian government's propoganda machine.I've spent nearly five (5) years of my _adult life_ in East Asia, like the place, and find it very interesting, but this book is fantasyland.
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